Back on March 28, Chico State women's track & field standout Nicole Anthony posted a time of 10:32.30 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic in San Francisco. Her performance not only established a personal best in the event, but gave the Castro Valley product the fourth-fastest steeple time in the program's history. And if that wasn't enough, the effort effectively punched Anthony's ticket to this week's NCAA Track & Field Championships. The advancement to her first national meet makes Anthony the latest Wildcat of the Week.
Anthony's quest for All-America status begins Thursday at 5:25 p.m. Pacific time, when she toes the line in Kingsville, Texas as one of 20 competitors in the NCAA Track & Field Championships' women's steeplechase preliminaries. If she is one of the top 12 finishers, Anthony will advance to Friday's 5:15 p.m. final for the chance at All-America recognition and a possible national steeplechase championship.
Anthony will also be attempting to continue an impressive streak that has seen Chico State earn at least one All-America steeple recipient in each of the last four seasons. Alex Burkhart earned the distinction three times (2015, 2017–18), with McCall Habermehl (2016–17) twice earning All-America honors in the event.
The last time Anthony ran the steeplechase, she etched her name into the Chico State record books. This week, her final runs as a Wildcat could well establish Anthony as one of Division II's best in 2019.
